In The Future
by AiLing
Summary: Set in the year 2037 in Seattle Grace Hospital, the Sheperd family have a dark secret that they cannot hide any longer... revived in the wake of the latest episode, 'Can't Fight Biology
1. Chapter 1

**I was rewatching the earlier episodes of season 2 of Grey's, one episode which Ellis was admitted into the hospital, and this popped into my head.**

**In The Future**

Hello, my name is Caryn Sheperd. My parents are Derek and Meredith Sheperd, the two world renowned neurosurgeons from Seattle Grace Hospital. My name is a combination of my aunt Lexie, whose middle name is Caroline and my paternal grandma whose name is Carolyn.

Mom told me that the day I was born, which turned out to be the one year anniversary of a tragic day in the hospital, all the hospital staff came to see me. And that I had single-handedly lifted away the gloomy nature of the day. My parents never told me much about that tragic and fateful day, except that there was a shooting that day, a few died and many were injured, and it was a day they would never forget, no matter how much they wanted to. Mom told me on several occasions how she lost my elder sister that day, which saddens me, because I've always wanted a big sister. But she would then comfort me by saying that had it not happened that way, I wouldn't even exist, so this is like my sister's gift for me.

I grew up in the hospital. Since my parents wanted to spend as much time with me and my younger brother Christopher, they made it a point not to hire a nanny, and to bring us to the hospital instead most of the time. Which is just as well… My earliest childhood memories include me and my brother in the hospital nursery, mingling around with the other kids there, whose parents were also hospital staff.

The hospital is like my sanctuary, I remember sitting in the OR gallery coloring or reading, while watching Dad cut open someone's brain. I remember sitting in the hospital cafeteria grinning away as my mom's friends gushed at me. I remember running down the corridors chasing after my cousins Dylan and Amanda whose parents uncle Mark and aunt Lexie are also renowned surgeons in this hospital. Well, it was a good childhood, as my parents showed me and my brother as much love as they can ever give.

The hospital is my life. So much so that when I grew older and graduated from high school, I decided to pursue a pre-medical and subsequently a medical degree.

Not only did I want to make my parents proud ( I know they're already so proud of me), I cannot imagine myself doing anything else other than following in their footsteps and becoming a surgeon.

Which is why I'm currently working as an intern in this Seattle Grace Hospital itself, which has always been like my second home.

My parents have retired from being surgeons several years ago. According to Dad, they wanted to enjoy the remaining of their lives while it lasts. But I know that there's something more to that… a secret that our family has been keeping for quite some time now.

* * *

_Year 2037_

I have this sinking feeling that today is going to be one of those days….those long days where everything just seems to go wrong, and you just want the day to end so that you can go back home and rest. So far, three of my patients have already died in the OR, and they just had to have me announce the time of death. I was requested to pull the plug on another patient, but firmly refused to do so, after the story I've heard from aunt Lexie herself how she would never forgive herself for pulling the plug on that patient, which lead to the horrible shooting years ago. I had earned glares from the specialists, but I just don't care.

Right now, I'm standing at the nurses station charting. One would think that with the latest technology and so many new equipments being invented, one would think of inventing a digital chart for the patients. But no. Oops. I'm rambling again, one of the many traits I've inherited from my mom.

I feel a tap on my shoulder. Irritated to have been disturbed from my work, I turn around to see cousin Dylan and Abby Hunt, my best friend, standing and looking at me with their eyes full of concern. They are also interns in this hospital.

'What?' I am now beginning to feel nervous. Everytime they look at me like that, I know something is wrong.

' Your mom is in the hospital.' Dylan says matter-of-factly.

I bury my face in my hands. This day cannot possibly get any worse than this.

' She was trying to fight away the nurses when they tried to insert the IV line into her. The nurses are calling for you' Abby adds.

As much as I want to run far away, my conscience tells me that she is my mother and I have to deal with her if others can't.

* * *

When I enter mom's room, she is now chiding a nurse who was still unsuccessfully trying to set an IV line on her.

' What are you doing, trying to poke me? I am a doctor here, not a patient! Go practice on someone else. And pass me the patient's chart please..'

I clear my throat and Dad who is standing beside her looks up at me and smiles.

' Princess, I don't think your Mom is in the best of moods today'.

Omg, I am freaking 26 years old and he still calls me his Princess.

But today I decide to ignore that and walk over to mom's beside.

' Mom' I call out softly. She stops scolding the nurse and stares at me.

Suddenly she looks frightened.

'Derek' she says wearily… 'How can I not remember having a twin?'

Have I forgotten to mention how I look so much like my mother when she was younger?

Dad tries to stifle a giggle, but I do not find it funny at all.

' Mom, I'm not your twin. I'm your daughter Caryn.'

She stares at me and studies me from top to toe.

'Derek!' she calls out again, this time in a panicked voice.

' Yes dear, I'm here'

' Why is this young lady here saying that she is my daughter? I don't recall having a daughter! I never did have any children before Derek, you've to trust me!'

This time, Dad keeps silent.

' Derek, I would never lie to you… if I had a daughter I would've told you… I'm not like you, you lied to me. You didn't even tell me you had this beautiful talented wife who is hard to hate the first time you met me! '

Dad put his hands on her shoulders.

'Mer, that was almost 30 years ago…'

She stares at him in disbelief. And then shakes her head.

'No..no…you're lying to me. You lied to me about Addison. Everyone is lying to me!'

She is now sobbing wholeheartedly in his arms.

Dad looks at me apologetically, and I know that means that there is nothing I can do for her at the moment, so I leave the room with a heavy heart.

* * *

Abby now stands beside me in the nurses counter, as I chart to distract myself from what happened in the room.

Finally she breaks the silence. 'Is her Alzheimer's getting worse?'

I sigh and put down my pen. 'Yes, it is. Just yesterday she could still recognize me, although she calls me her little girl. Today, she cannot even recognize me anymore, and she was freaking out trying to explain to Dad how she would never have an illegitimate daughter. It's like she has travelled back in time!' I ramble.

Abby sighs. 'I'm so sorry.. ermm….do you want a hug?' she asks awkwardly.

I smile as she hugs me stiffly. She is so like her mom, hardcore and not really good at showing emotions.

* * *

Later in the day, when I've finished checking on my patients, I decide to visit Mom again. This time, she's sleeping peacefully on her bed, to my relief. Dad is still by her bedside and now my brother is also there beside her.

'How's she now?' I ask softly not wanting to wake her. ' Sedated, she was given some benzodiazepenes. They almost wanted to give her haloperidol, but I wouldn't allow that'. Dad answered.

I take my seat beside her and hold her right hand.

As I look down at her peacefully sleeping face, I can't help but recall the abundant good times we've had with each other, before she was diagnosed with Alzheimers' a one year ago.I had known that my maternal grandmother also had this disease, and that it is familial, but I just didn't expect it to strike her this soon, when they're still so many beautiful memories I want to share with her.

I recall the many mother-daughter bonding sessions I had with her , even as an adult. We would make it a point to have this girly time at least once a week where we would go to the malls and shop as much as we wanted. Going for facial and yoga sessions with her. Helping her to cook in the kitchen, which can be quite an ordeal at times as she's not the best cook. Snuggled in the couch together, watching old tapes of my grandma Ellis performing amazing surgeries. Her smiling proudly at me during my ballet performances, high school graduation and medical school graduation.

I now realize that these are the memories that matter and that I would carry with me forever. At least she has been a great mother to me.

I squeeze her hand and bend down to kiss her forehead.

'I love you, mom.'

A beautiful smile carves on her lips, the smile which I've seen a million times and love. (The same smile which always blows away my Dad).

Dad follows suit and kisses her forehead as well.

'Mer' he says, holding her hands..remember our wedding vows? Which we first wrote down on post-its? We promised each other to never run away even if we get old and senile. And I promised you to stay by your side even when you have Alzheimer's. Well, this is me standing by your side... And just so you know, you're nothing like your mom.'

My parents are romantic like that. Normally, I would get a bit uncomfortable with their PDA, but I'm actually grateful for the strong bond they're shared throughout the years.

Chris and I share a knowing smile.' Yes, you're the best mom ever' Chris chimes in, and I nod in agreement.

And so we sit in silence, Dad, Mom, Chris and I, just appreciating simple family time together.

**So do you like it? If yes, please do click the button below and review! Thanks a lot :D**


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note**

This was written quite a while ago, but the latest episode reminded me of this fic, and so I'm bumping it up again in conjunction with 'Can't Fight Biology'.… Mer might very well get Alzheimer's….we wouldn't know….but what if she did? ;) Here is what I predicted would happen… Comments and reviews are very much appreciated!

Who knows if I get enough reviews, I might consider writing another chapter or two..;)


	3. Chapter 3

**Nicholas Spark's novel 'The Notebook' has inspired me to write this new chapter…**

**Thanks for the reviews for the first chapter! =) **

**Chapter 2- Derek's POV**

It is now late at night, and activity in the Seattle Grace Hospital has dwindled down. Everyone has gone home, and the only people left are the night shift nurses. Finally I can have some peace and quiet…

I turn my attention from outside the window to the person sleeping on the hospital bed in the room. She looks so peaceful in her sleep, her lips carving the beautiful smile which has always captivated me. Although age has finally caught up with her, but to me she still looks as beautiful as she had the very first time I met her at Joe's. It's as if everything is back to normal again, as it used to.

She senses me looking at her, and she stirs. Finally she opens her beautiful green eyes to look at me.

' Derek' she whispers….

I walk over quickly and take my place at her bedside- holding her hand.

' Mer' I whisper back….' How are you feeling?'

She stares at me intently again, as if sensing that I am hiding something.

' Derek, tell me the truth.'

' What truth?'

' The girl who came into my room just now, is she really my daughter?'

I swallow hard. It's like a stab to the chest, even worse that the bullet that pierced my chest many years ago.

' Yes Mer, Caryn is our daughter. I say softly. She has just turned 26 and she's working as an intern in this hospital.'

Her face slowly begins to turn into a frown.

' But if that's the case….then why I can't remember anything? Why can't I remember carrying her for nine months and giving birth to her? Why can't I remember bringing her up?'

Luckily Caryn has already gone back home..if not this would have been a double stab for her.

I sigh heavily. Alzheimer's is a very cruel disease indeed. It slowly but subtly takes away your loved ones from you. They perish before your very eyes. One day, they can just wake up and totally forget who you are.

I reach into my laptop bag, and take out a huge brown envelope, passing it to her.

She looks at me questioningly.

' Open it' I nod, and she does…and gasps in surprise.

'Derek…why do these lab results have my name on it?' Her eyes scan the lab results until she comes across something that made her stop reading and look up at me.

' I have Alzheimer's don't I' she says softly.

I nod, trying not to let the tears pooling in my eyes escape.

Suddenly, she begins to sob softly, her shoulder's heaving. I pull her into a hug and hug her tight, not wanting to let her go, and feeling resentful how this disease is taking her away from me slowly. My sleeves soon become wet with her tears, but it's ok…I don't want to let her go.

_**Year 2011**_

'_Hey' I smile at Mer as we pass each other at the hospital corridors. We had been so busy that we didn't manage to see each other for the whole day. 'What are you up to?'_

_She shrugs. 'Nothing, just on my way to collect the lab results- you know- to find out whether or not I had inherited my mother's crappy Alzheimer's gene…'_

_I grab her hand, maybe a bit too hard, causing her to wince._

'_No' I say sternly. 'You're not going to collect the result.'_

'_Why not?' she can be stubborn at times._

'_Mer, do you really want to know? What if you really had the gene- are you going to live the rest of your life in trepidation of what is to come? Or do you not want to know- and just live life to the fullest, and let whatever happens happen?'_

_She remains silent, as if deep in thought. _

'_You're right' she says finally. 'I don't want to know'._

'_Thank you' I kiss her on the forehead._

_However, a few days later, one of the lab staff stopped me in the hospital corridor. _

' _Meredith Grey is your wife right? Well, here are her lab results…I can't locate her these past few days.' he says, shoving the large brown envelope into my hands. I couldn't decline. After much contemplation, I finally succumbed to the temptation of having a peak at the results. And as soon as I saw the result, I really wished I hadn't. I kept the envelope safely tucked in a drawer in my office, and tried to forget about it. _

_But of course I couldn't. I just couldn't bear the thought of her not being able to remember me when we get older. The next few days, without Mer knowing, I had private conversations with Cristina about finding a cure for Alzheimer's. Cristina was just as interested as I am in finding a cure for the disease. So for the next few years, whenever we had some spare time in the hospital during on calls, Cristina and I would try some lab experiments to design a cure for Alzheimers. After many failed attempts, we finally gave up. And I still felt the familiar feeling of dread overcome me whenever I see Mer forget or misplace something._

_One year ago, she was finally diagnosed with Alzheimer's after months of misplacing things and forgetting things which aroused my suspicion. When we first found out, I was devastated and so was she. And so were she children when we told them the bad news. But she was a good sport about it, saying that it had to happen one day. She made sure to tell me and the children everyday that she loved us 'before I forget one day' she said._

_And one day she did forget. That day, I cried silently to sleep, knowing that the beginning of the end was here._

I finally let her go and pulled out two bracelets from the envelope- one pink and one blue.

' Mer- do you remember this? I gave them to you after the birth of each of our children.'

She stared at the bracelets for a long time. Suddenly her face lit up, as if she remembers something.

_**Year 2012**_

_It was the one year anniversary of the tragic shooting, which claimed 11 lives in the Seattle Grace hospital. A memorial service was being planned for the victims of the shooting…and all the hospital staff were to attend._

_However, memories of the shooting was far at the back of my mind. I just couldn't feel sad, because cuddled safetly in my arms was a tiny little pink bundle of joy. I look down at my newborn daughter in awe. Being a new father is such an indescribable feeling! _

' _Hey princess' I coo to her. 'It's your daddy. I'm so glad that you're finally here. I love you so much, more than you'll ever know. Your mummy loves you too, but she has to rest first, because she had to work so hard to bring you into this world.'_

_Mer finally stirs from her bed. _

' _Hey, look who is here to see you' I transfer our daughter into her arms._

' _Oh ' Mer whispers, tears of joy rolling down her cheeks. 'She's beautiful'_

' _Yes, she is' I smile. 'She looks just like you.'_

' _I've something for you' I say as she is still looking fascinated at the little baby girl in her arms. 'To thank you for making me a father.'_

_I take out a pink bracelet from a gift box and present it to her. It had our daughter's name 'Caryn' neatly engraved on it._

' _Oh Derek- it's beautiful!' she exclaims, as I wear it for her._

_Of course, three years later, I presented her with another bracelet, this time a blue one, with the name 'Chris' engraved on it, right after she gave me the son I had always wanted. _

Mer now looks in awe at the two bracelets, as she fingers the names engraved on them.

' Caryn and Christopher' she whispers again and again.

' Yes, those are the names of our two children'. I say quietly.

She suddenly smiles and looks at me.

'They're beautiful aren't they? And amazing as well. They must be. They're our children'.

I try hard to blink back tears again.

'Yes, Mer, they're the most amazing kids ever. We are so lucky to have them.'

' I want to see them now.'

'It's late Mer, they're at home. You can see them tomorrow.'

' But what if I don't remember them again tomorrow?' she has tears in her eyes.

She's right, I've to admit. Her lucid interval would not last for long, might as well make full use of it.

An hour later, both Caryn and Christopher were in the room again, and chatting excitedly with their mother as she laughs and smiles happily at them. It's almost like the good old times again, except that I really wish this moment would never end. We chat throughout the night, until sunrise when Mer finally nods off due to tiredness. The children kiss her goodbye, knowing that when she wakes up, she would most probably not remember them again.

**I hope you like this chapter…please do read and review! Reviews are very much appreciated =) **


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